Look at Me

Look at Me

La Biennale di Venezia

VERDICT: Javier Bardem and Chris Rock star in this febrile melodrama, directed by Sally Potter, about an explosive moment in a relationship.

Originally conceived as a short film-within-a-film intended to be part of her 2020 feature The Roads Not Taken, when she put the footage together, Sally Potter decided this brief snapshot of a combustible relationship had to stand on its own. Featuring fully committed performances from Javier Bardem and Chris Rock, Look at Me follows a day in the life of ageing rock drummer Leo (Bardem) and his gala director partner Alan (Rock). The latter has hired the former to perform at his event, but the constraints of the brief bring their existing troubles bubbling to the surface in this broiling, dynamic short.

From its opening moments, the film is dominated by its sound design, most notably in the keyed-up rhythms of its accompanying drum soundtrack. Initially being played by Leo, the restless beat recurs in several moments, often when Leo is struggling to keep his emotions in check. Feeling undermined and stifled by what Alan is asking him to – which is effectively to provide a meter for a tap dancer (Savion Glover) – he storms out of rehearsals. The ensuing exchanges between the two men raise questions about the mutual respect in their relationship, the strain that their relative professional success has on both of them, and Leo’s struggles with his mental health and addiction.

While the two performances are both broad – intentionally as the emotional swings are vast – Rock plays Alan somewhat more considered than Bardem, whose Leo is physical and frenetic. He feels like someone who finds release in the intensity of the drum performance, but someone who also becomes overwrought as a result. The whole film reflects this, dialling its audio queues up to eleven and Robbie Ryan’s kinetic cinematography is filled with glaring spotlights, colour washes, and shallow depth of field. The film feels saturated in its aesthetic, which only goes to elevate the heightened emotions even further. That’s not to say there are no subtleties to be found in the details of Potters’ dialogue, but it’s in its overwrought energy that Look at Me is at its most interesting.

Director, screenplay, music: Sally Potter
Cast: Javier Bardem, Chris Rock, Savion Glover
Producer: Christopher Sheppard
Cinematography: Robbie Ryan
Editing: Emilie Orsini, Gareth C. Scales
Sound:
Yves-Marie Omnes
Production design: Carlos Conti
Production companies: Adventure Pictures
(UK)
Venue: Venice Film Festival (Out of Competition)
In English
16 minutes